Two Cork hospitals implement visiting restrictions due to infection control measures

Two Cork hospitals have implemented visiting restrictions due to increased infection control measures.

Visiting restrictions are in place at Cork University Hospital (CUH) due to the high number of Covid-19 outbreaks in hospital and in the community.

The visiting restrictions will commence on Thursday, March 17 and visiting will only be permitted on compassionate grounds.

Visiting restrictions also remain in place at Bantry General Hospital in an effort to minimise the risk of spreading infection among staff and patients.

Visiting will only be allowed on compassionate grounds and must be pre-arranged with Ward managers and hospital consultants. This also includes St Joseph’s Residential Unit, which is located on the hospital grounds.

All theatre elective surgery has been cancelled and hospital management has said that the hospital will contact each patient individually and that cancelled appointments are being worked on presently with a view to early rescheduling. Outpatient appointments and radiology are still running.

Those with an urgent query in relation to an appointment are asked to contact the relevant consultant’s secretary.

Hospital management has said that the situation will be reviewed on an ongoing basis and any changes will be advised.

Management has requested that, where appropriate, the public contact their GP in the first instance, and explore all other options available to them, including the Local Injury Unit (LIU), GP or SouthDoc out-of-hours service in the first instance.

All appropriate infection control precautions are being followed to minimise the risk of spreading infection among staff and patients.